This invention relates generally to a implement for setting sutures for use in surgery, which is particularly suitable for setting sutures in locations that are difficult to reach.
Upon the completion of surgery it is standard procedure to sew up the surgical incision by using a suture or clamp. In common practice, the surgeon threads a small needle and thereafter clamps the needle in the jaws of a surgical clamp. The clamp and needle are then manipulated into the desired position and the suture is set. While this conventional procedure is adequate for some procedures in easily accessible parts of the body, it is difficult, and of times dangerous, to use in certain inaccessible areas, such as during a vaginal hysterectomy. During the procedure the needle could slip or move in the jaw of the clamp, which could prevent the suture from being properly positioned, or even worse, the needle may be dislodged from the clamp and have to be removed.
It is thus an object of the present invention to overcome these problems by providing a one-piece surgical tool for setting a suture, without difficulty, in hard to reach places.
It is a more general object of this invention to provide an improved implement for setting sutures.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an implement for setting sutures in hard to reach locations.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide an implement for setting sutures that provides a high degree of accuracy in placement.